Ship classification society Korean Register (KR) has been accepted by the US Coast Guard (USCG) as an Independent Laboratory (IL) to undertake tests, inspections and evaluations for ballast water management systems.
With this development, KR has been authorised to type-approve ballast water management (BWM) systems in accordance with the US Code of Federal Regulation.
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According to KR, the society is the first in Asia and second outside the US to gain this authorisation.
KR chairman and CEO Dr BS Park said: "We are honoured and delighted to be the first Asian classification society to be selected by the USCG as an internationally renowned facility qualified to deliver high-quality testing and evaluation for ballast water management systems to the world’s maritime community.
"This achievement is a further example of KR’s growing status on the international stage and an endorsement of our technical abilities."
As International Maritime Organization’s Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) is set to be effective soon, vessels operating in US territorial waters will have to be equipped with BWM systems that are USCG type-approved in accordance with their implementation schedule.
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By GlobalDataThis approval requires a high level of ability within the IL and includes the passing of at least five valid and successful test repetitions at differing levels of salinity during land-based testing, KR stated.
In February this year, the marine safety and security division of Transport Canada authorised KR to perform statutory services on behalf of the Government of Canada.
With this authorisation, KR is capable of conducting surveys, audits and issuing certificates to Canadian-flagged ships under SOLAS, MARPOL, ITC, ILL and ISM codes.
